A day after he married his girlfriend of two years, Kevin was allegedly murdered by her kin. The victim and his girlfriend, Neenu, reportedly registered their marriage on Friday, 25 May, under the Special Marriage Act in Kerala's Kottayam district.
According to The News Minute, Kevin and his friend Aneesh were allegedly abducted by a gang of armed men from his residence on early Sunday morning. A frantic search ensued, with Neenu filing missing person complaint, and Kevin's body was found on Monday, a few miles away from Thenmala in Kollam.
Following the body's recovery, Neenu registered a case against her family, who have reportedly been against her marriage from the very beginning.
Speaking to Manorama News, Neenu had said that after getting her marriage registered, she had approached the police, who promised that she would not be sent back to her father's house, as she was 21 years of age.
However, the same police reportedly called her father later and asked her to leave with him.
I was forcibly taken back home. But I returned. After that I signed a letter and submitted it to the station and was allowed to go back with my husband. My family issued several death threats after that.Neenu, as told to Manorama News
Meanwhile, speaking to The News Minute, a police official from the Gandhinagar station, where the complaint was filed, said:
On Sunday around 1 am, a gang of armed men entered his house, wreaked havoc and kidnapped Kevin and his friend Aneesh (30). According to his wife Neenu’s complaint, her brother and others are involved in the abduction. Kevin is a Dalit Christian and the girl’s father is a Christian, while her mother is a Muslim. Her brother has opposed the wedding. Police have taken into custody one accused in the abduction and have also seized an Innova used by the gang.
According to Aneesh, who was abducted along with Kevin, the alleged accused reportedly told him that Kevin had escaped. They also told him that he would be let off if he could persuade Neenu to leave Kevin, reported TNM, quoting Manorama News.
He also alleged that Neenu’s brother was involved in the abduction.
Meanwhile, Neenu, who is currently admitted in Kottayam Medical College, also alleged inadequate action by the police, particularly when she filed the initial missing person complaint on Sunday.
Responding to her allegations, an officer said:
When the missing complaint was filed in Gandhinagar station on Sunday, the police officers in charge did not pay adequate attention to it and said that they would be able to attend to it only after the CM’s visit which was scheduled for that day.
According to TNM, two persons have been held in relation to the case so far.
Quoting other media reports, TNM also reported that a probe will be initated against the Gandhinagar police station for not acting on time. A post-mortem will be done by the Thiruvananthapuram Medical Colllege, while the Kottayam Superintendent of Police VM Mohammed Rafiq has been transferred.
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